Reduction of multiline artifacts in doppler imaging

An ultrasound imaging system comprising:

• a transducer configured to transmit and receive ultrasound beams;
• and
• a control processor operably connected to the transducer, the control processor configured to process information received at the transducer,
• wherein the transducer is configured to transmit a first ensemble of ultrasound beams at a first spatial position, wherein transmission of each beam in the first ensemble results in a plurality of parallel receive beams that are located between the first spatial position and a second spatial position,
• wherein the transducer is configured to transmit a second ensemble of ultrasound beams at the second spatial position, wherein transmission of each beam in the second ensemble results in a plurality of parallel receive beams that are located between the first spatial position and the second spatial position,
• wherein the control processor is configured to a first auto-correlation estimate based on at least two receive beams from said first ensemble of beams,
• wherein the control processor is configured to calculate a second auto-correlation estimate based on at least two receive beams from said second ensemble of beams, and
• wherein the control processor is configured to combine the first auto-correlation estimate and the second auto-correlation estimate.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a set of instructions for execution on a processing device and associated processing logic, wherein the set of instructions includes:

• a first routine that provides for controlling a transducer configured to transmit and receive ultrasound beams;
• and
• a second routine that provides for calculation of a plurality of auto-correlation estimates and combination of the auto-correlation estimates,
• wherein the first routine provides for transmission of a first ensemble of ultrasound beams at a first spatial position, wherein transmission of each beam in the first ensemble results in a plurality of parallel receive beams that are located between the first spatial position and a second spatial position,
• wherein the first routine provides for transmission of a second ensemble of ultrasound beams at the second spatial position, wherein transmission of each beam in the second ensemble results in a plurality of parallel receive beams that are located between the first spatial position and the second spatial position,
• wherein the second routine provides for calculation of a first auto-correlation estimate based on at least two receive beams from said first ensemble of beams,
• wherein the second routine provides for calculation of a second auto-correlation estimate based on at least one receive beam in the second plurality of parallel receive beams and at least one receive beam in the fourth plurality of parallel receive beams, and
• wherein the second routine provides for combining the first auto-correlation estimate and the second auto-correlation estimate.